EX-4.18




 Exhibit 4.18 

 
  

Equity Option Agreement 
  

 
 among

 Beijing Cheerbright Technologies Co., Ltd. 

and 
 Long Quan 

and 
 Beijing Autohome
Information Technology Co., Ltd. 
 February 19, 2021 












  
  

 CONTENTS 
  

							
	1.	 	 DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
	  	 	4	 
			
	2.	 	 PURCHASE AND SALE OF EQUITY INTEREST
	  	 	5	 
			
	3.	 	 UNDERTAKINGS
	  	 	6	 
			
	4.	 	 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
	  	 	8	 
			
	5.	 	 FURTHER WARRANTIES
	  	 	10	 
			
	6.	 	 TERM
	  	 	10	 
			
	7.	 	 APPLICABLE LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION
	  	 	10	 
			
	8.	 	 CONFIDENTIALITY
	  	 	10	 
			
	9.	 	 MISCELLANEOUS
	  	 	11	 


  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  	- 2 -	  	














  
  

 THIS EQUITY OPTION AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into on
February 19, 2021 in Beijing, People’s Republic of China (“PRC”). 
 by and among 

(1) Beijing Cheerbright Technologies Co., Ltd., a liability limited company incorporated under the PRC laws with its registered address at Room
1010, F/10, Tower B, No. 3, Danling Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100080, China (the “Party A”); 

and 
 (2) Long Quan, a PRC citizen, holder
of identification card number ******, whose residential address is at ****** (the “Party B”); 
 and 

(3) Beijing Autohome Information Technology Co., Ltd., a company duly organized and existing under the PRC laws with its legal address at
1011-1015, F/10, Tower B, No. 3, Danling Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100080, China (the “Party C”). 

(Above-mentioned Party A, Party B and Party C are solely referred as a “Party”, and collectively as the “Parties”) 

Recitals 
  

	A.	 Party B holds 50% of the equity interest in Party C. 



 

	B.	 Party C, an operating vehicle of the website (www.autohome.com.cn), is a PRC domestic company lawfully existing
in the PRC and engaged in Internet information services. 


  

	C.	 On February 19, 2021, a Loan Agreement was entered into between Party A and Party B (the “Loan
Agreement”), pursuant to which Party B took a loan (the “Loan”) in the total amount of RMB5,000,000 from, and therefore owes a debt to, Party A to subscribe to the aforementioned 50% equity interest in Party
C. 


  

	D.	 On February 19, 2021, an Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement was entered into between
Party A and Party C (the “Services Agreement”), pursuant to which Party C will pay a service fee to Party A in consideration for services provided by Party A. 



  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  	- 3 -	  	














  
  

 NOW THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows: 

 

	1.	 DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS 



 

	 	1.1	 Definitions. Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the
meanings set forth below: 


  

			
	Designated Person(s)	  	means 1 or more person(s) designated by Party A;
		
	Equity Interest	  	means all of the equity interest held by Party B in Party C;
		
	Equity Pledge Agreement	  	means the Equity Interest Pledge Agreement entered into by and among Party A and Party B, dated on February 19, 2021, under which Party B pledges to Party A Party B’s Equity Interest in consideration for Party C’s
performance of its obligations under the Loan Agreement and Services Agreement;
		
	Notice of Purchase	  	means the written notice sent by Party A to exercise the Purchase Right (as defined below), as set forth in Article 2.2;
		
	Person	  	means a person, corporation, joint venture, partnership, enterprise, trust, or non-corporate entity;
		
	Purchase Right	  	means an irrevocable right to purchase, at any time, all or part of the Equity Interest held by Party B at a price equivalent to the lowest price permitted by then-current PRC laws; and
		
	Security Interest	  	means any third party’s security, right or interest, any right to purchase Party B’s equity interest in Party C, or any right of acquisition, right of set-off, or other security
arrangement, including any security interest subject to this Agreement, the Equity Pledge Agreement or the Loan Agreement.


  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  	- 4 -	  	














  
  


	 	1.2	 Interpretations. All headings used are for reference purposes only and do not affect the meaning or
interpretation of any provision. The use of the plural shall include the use of the singular, and vice versa. Unless otherwise indicated, a reference to a day, month or year is to a calendar day, month or year. The use of the masculine shall include
the use of the feminine, and vice versa. 


  

	2.	 PURCHASE AND SALE OF EQUITY INTEREST 



 

	 	2.1	 Authorization. Party B hereby irrevocably grants Party A or its Designated Person(s) the Purchase Right
for his Equity Interest. 


  

	 	2.2	 Procedures. Upon Party A’s decision to exercise such Purchase Right, it shall send a written Notice
of Purchase to Party B setting forth details for the purchase. 


  

	 	2.3	 Exercise of Purchase Right. Every time Party A exercises the Purchase Right: 



  

	 	2.3.1	 Party B shall supervise and ensure other shareholders of Party C to convene a shareholders meeting, and pass a
resolution to transfer the Equity Interest from Party B to Party A and/or the Designated Person; 


  

	 	2.3.2	 Party B shall, upon the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Notice of Purchase, enter into all
documents requested by Party A; and 


  

	 	2.3.3	 Party B and Party C shall execute all documents, acquire all approvals, and perform all actions necessary to
transfer the valid ownership of the Equity Interest to Party A and/or the Designated Person. 


  

	 	2.4	 Method of Payment. Upon exercise of the Purchase Right by Party A or its Designated Person(s), Party A
shall make payment by cancelling all or a portion of the Loan, in the same proportion that Party A or its Designated Person(s) has acquired the Security Interest. In case PRC laws require Party A or its Designated Person(s) to pay to Party B, Party
B shall immediately and unconditionally pay or transfer to Party A any proceeds in whatsoever form obtained from the Party A or its Designated Person(s) at the time such payables arise, after having deducted and paid any and all relevant taxes and
expenses applicable to such a shareholder as a result of his receipt of such proceeds. 



  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  	- 5 -	  	














  
  


	3.	 UNDERTAKINGS 


  


	 	3.1	 Undertakings of Party C. 



	 	  	 Party C hereby undertakes that: 



 

	 	3.1.1	 it will maintain its corporate existence, operate its business, and transact affairs prudently and efficiently
in accordance with good financial and commercial standards and practices; 


  

	 	3.1.2	 without the prior written consent of Party A, it will not sell, assign, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of any
legal or beneficiary rights to any of its assets, business, or revenues, or permit the creation of any other Security Interest over such rights at any time after the execution date of this Agreement; 



 

	 	3.1.3	 without the prior written consent of Party A, it will not incur, assume, guarantee or allow the existence of
any debts, except for those to which Party A has given its written consent; 


  

	 	3.1.4	 it will always operate its business to maintain the value of its assets, and will not do anything which will
affect its business situation nor the value of its assets; 


  

	 	3.1.5	 without the prior written consent of Party A, it will not enter into any contract at an amount exceedingly
higher or outside the ordinary business; 


  

	 	3.1.6	 without the prior written consent of Party A, it will not provide any loan to any third party;



  

	 	3.1.7	 at the request of Party A, it will provide to Party A all information relating to its operation and financial
conditions; 


  

	 	3.1.8	 without the prior written consent of Party A, it will not be consolidated or merged with any third party, nor
acquire or invest in any third party; 


  

	 	3.1.9	 it will promptly inform Party A of any existing or threatened litigation, arbitration, or administrative
proceedings relating to its assets, business, or revenues; 


  

	 	3.1.10	 in order to maintain the ownership of all its assets, it will execute all necessary or appropriate documents,
take all necessary or appropriate actions, file all necessary or appropriate charges, and conduct all necessary or appropriate defenses against all claims; 



  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  	- 6 -	  	














  
  


	 	3.1.11	 without the prior written consent of Party A, it will not in any form whatsoever allocate dividends to
shareholders; and 


  

	 	3.1.12	 if PRC law requires it to be dissolved or liquidated, it shall sell all of its assets to the extent permitted
by PRC laws to Party A or another qualifying entity designated by Party A, at the lowest selling price permitted by applicable PRC law. Any obligation for Party A to pay Party C as a result of such transaction shall be forgiven by Party C or any
proceeds from such transaction shall be paid to Party A in partial satisfaction of the service fee under the Services Agreement or remitted to Party A or the qualifying entity designated by Party A, as applicable under then-current PRC laws.



  

	 	3.2	 Undertakings of Party B. 



	 	  	 Party B undertakes on his own behalf that: 



 

	 	3.2.1	 without the prior written consent of Party A, he will not sell, transfer, mortgage, pledge, grant any option
rights or otherwise dispose of any legal or beneficiary rights to the Equity Interest, or permit the creation of any other Security Interest over such rights at any time, except for the pledge under the Equity Pledge Agreement;



  

	 	3.2.2	 without the prior written consent of Party A, he will not vote in favor of, endorse, or sign any shareholders
resolution approving the sale, assignment, mortgage, or other disposal of the legal or beneficiary rights of any shareholder or allowing the creation of any other Security Interest over such rights at the shareholders meeting of Party C;



  

	 	3.2.3	 without the prior written consent of Party A, he will not vote in favor of, endorse, or sign any shareholders
resolution approving the consolidation or merger of Party C with any third party or the acquisition of or investment in any third party by Party C at the shareholders meeting of Party C; 



 

	 	3.2.4	 he will promptly inform Party A of any existing or threatened litigation, arbitration, or administrative
proceedings relating to the Equity Interest; 


  

	 	3.2.5	 at the request of Party A, he will cause the shareholders meeting of Party C to vote in favor of the transfer
of the Equity Interest as contemplated hereunder; 



  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  	- 7 -	  	














  
  


	 	3.2.6	 in order to maintain his ownership of the Equity Interest, he will execute all necessary or appropriate
documents, take all necessary or appropriate actions, file all necessary or appropriate charges, or conduct all necessary or appropriate defenses against all claims; 



 

	 	3.2.7	 at the request of Party A, he will appoint the person nominated by Party A as the director of, or to hold any
other position in, Party C; 


  

	 	3.2.8	 at the request of Party A, he will immediately transfer the requested Equity Interest to the Designated
Person(s); 


  

	 	3.2.9	 he will strictly comply with the provisions of this Agreement and any other contracts entered into jointly or
separately by the parties hereto, strictly perform the obligations under such contracts, and will not do anything which will affect the validity and enforceability of such contracts; 



 

	 	3.2.10	 he shall not put forward, or vote in favor of, any shareholder resolution to, or otherwise request Party C to,
issue any dividends or other distributions with respect to his equity interest in Party C; provided, however, in the event that he receives any profit, bonus, distribution or dividend from Party C, he shall, as permitted under PRC laws, immediately
pay or transfer such profit, bonus, distribution or dividend to Party A or to any party designated by Party A in order to 1) first, to repay in part the Loan payable under the Loan Agreement; and 2) then, if there is any profit, bonus, distribution
or dividend amount remaining, to pay in part the service fee under the Services Agreement on behalf of Party C; and 


  

	 	3.2.11	 after mandatory liquidation described in 3.1.12 above, he will remit in full to the Party A any residual
interest he receives in a nonreciprocal transfer or cause it happen. If such transfer is prohibited by PRC law, he will remit the proceeds to Party A or its Designated Person(s) in a manner permitted under PRC law 



 

	4.	 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES 



 

	 	4.1	 Representations and Warranties of Party B. Party B hereby represents and warrants on his own behalf to
Party A that as of the date of this Agreement: 



  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  	- 8 -	  	














  
  


	 	4.1.1	 he has the power and right to sign, deliver, and perform his obligations under this Agreement, and that the
said documents shall constitute his legal, valid, and binding obligations enforceable in accordance with their terms; 


  

	 	4.1.2	 the execution and delivery of this Agreement or any other contracts, and the performance of his obligations
thereunder, will not violate PRC law, breach or result in a default of any contract or instrument to which he is subject, or result in a breach, suspension, or revocation of any grant, license, or approval or result in the imposition of any
additional conditions being imposed thereon; and 


  

	 	4.1.3	 he is the lawful owner of the Equity Interest held by himself and has not created any Security Interest over
such Equity Interest other than the Equity Pledge Agreement. 


  

	 	4.2	 Representations and Warranties of Party C.  



	 	  	 Party C represents and warrants to Party A that: 



 

	 	4.2.1	 it has the power and right to sign, deliver, and perform its obligations under this Agreement, and said
documents shall constitute its legal, valid, and binding obligations enforceable in accordance with their terms; 


  

	 	4.2.2	 the execution and delivery, of this Agreement or any other contracts, and the performance of its obligations
thereunder, will not violate PRC law, conflict with its Articles of Association or other constituent documents, breach or result in a default of any contract or instrument to which it is subject, or result in a breach, suspension, or revocation of
any grant, license, or approval or result in the imposition of any additional conditions being imposed thereon; 


  

	 	4.2.3	 it is the lawful owner of its assets, and has not created any Security Interest over such assets;



  

	 	4.2.4	 it does not have any outstanding debts other than those incurred in the ordinary course of business and which
have been disclosed to Party A; 


  

	 	4.2.5	 it will comply with all PRC law applicable to the acquisition of assets; and 



  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  	- 9 -	  	














  
  


	 	4.2.6	 there is no existing, pending or threatened litigation, arbitration, or administrative proceedings relating to
the Equity Interest, its assets, or itself. 


  

	5.	 FURTHER WARRANTIES 



The parties to the agreement agree to promptly execute documents reasonably requisite to the performance of the provisions and the aim of this Agreement or
documents beneficial to it, and to take actions reasonably requisite to the performance of the provisions and the aim of this Agreement or actions beneficial to it. 
  

	6.	 TERM 



This Agreement shall take effect as of the Effective Date and shall remain in full force and effect until the earlier of (1) the date on which all of the
Equity Interests have been acquired by Party A directly or through its Designated Person(s); or (2) the unilateral termination by Party A (at its sole and absolute discretion), by giving 30 days prior written notice to the Party B of its
intention to terminate this Agreement. 
  

	7.	 APPLICABLE LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION 



 

	 	7.1	 Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with PRC law.



  

	 	7.2	 Consultation and Mediation. If any dispute arises in connection with this Agreement, the parties shall
attempt in the first instance to resolve such dispute through friendly consultation or mediation. 


  

	 	7.3	 Arbitration. Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall
be submitted to the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (the “CIETAC”) for arbitration, which shall be conducted in accordance with the CIETAC’s rules in effect at the time of applying for arbitration.
The place of arbitration shall be Beijing. The language of the arbitration shall be Chinese. The tribunal shall consist of 3 arbitrators. The arbitral award is final and binding upon the parties. The cost of arbitration shall be allocated as
determined by the arbitrators. 


  

	8.	 CONFIDENTIALITY 



 

	 	8.1	 Confidentiality Obligations. The parties shall protect and maintain the confidentiality of all
Confidential Information. Without the prior written consent of the other parties, no party shall disclose any Confidential Information to any third party unless the disclosure is required by law or by enforceable orders of the court or related
government departments. Under such circumstances, the party required to disclose the Confidential Information shall notify the other parties immediately, take all possible measures to minimize the disclosure, and notify the persons to whom
information is being disclosed of the confidentiality obligation. 



  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  	- 10 -	  	














  
  


	 	8.2	 Obligations upon Termination. Upon termination of this Agreement, each party shall, at the request of
the other parties, return any document, material, database, equipment, or software containing the Confidential Information to the other parties. If, for any reason, such document, material, database, equipment, or software cannot be returned, the
parties shall destroy all the Confidential Information and delete the Confidential Information from any memory devices. No party shall be permitted to continue using the Confidential Information in any way after the termination of this Agreement.



  

	 	8.3	 No Time Limit. There is no time limit to the confidentiality obligations stipulated in this Article,
which obligations will survive after the termination of this Agreement unless the Confidential Information is disclosed to the public for reasons not due to the breach of this Agreement by any party. 



 

	9.	 MISCELLANEOUS 



 

	 	9.1	 Notices. All notices or other communications sent by either party shall be written in English or
Chinese, and delivered in person, by mail, or telecopy, to the other party at the following addresses. The date at which the communication shall be deemed to be duly given or made shall be confirmed as follows: (a) for notices delivered in
person, the date of delivery shall be deemed as having been duly given or made; (b) for notices delivered by mail, the 10th day of the delivery date of air certified mail with postage prepaid (as shown on stamp) or the 4th day of the delivery
date to an internationally certified delivery institution shall be deemed as having been duly given or made; and (c) for notices by telecopy, the receipt date showed on the delivery confirming paper of the relevant document shall be deemed as
having been duly given or made. 



  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  	- 11 -	  	














  
  


			
	Party A:	  	Beijing Cheerbright Technologies Co., Ltd.
	Address:	  	 Room 1010, F/10, Tower B, No. 3, Danling Street,

Haidian District, Beijing 100080, China

	Tel:	  	+8610-59857001
	Attn:	  	Sun Shufeng
		
	Party B:	  	Long Quan
	Address:	  	******
	Tel:	  	******
	Attn:	  	Long Quan
		
	Party C:	  	Beijing Autohome Information Technology Co., Ltd.
	Address:	  	 1011-1015, F/10, Tower B, No. 3, Danling Street,

Haidian District, Beijing 100080, China

	Tel:	  	+8610-59857002
	Attn:	  	Long Quan

  

	 	9.2	 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, the Services Agreement, the Loan Agreement, the Equity Pledge
Agreement, and the power of attorney from Party B in favor of Party A shall constitute the entire agreement among the parties in respect of the subject matter hereof and shall supersede any previous discussions, negotiations and agreements related
thereto. 


  

	 	9.3	 Amendment. Without the prior written consent of Party A, neither of Party B or Party C of this Agreement
shall be entitled to amend this Agreement. If required by law, the parties shall obtain all requisite approvals from the relevant authorities to give effect to the amendment. 



 

	 	9.4	 No Waiver. Unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties in writing, any failure or delay on the part of
any party to exercise any right, authority or privilege under this Agreement, or under any other agreement relating hereto, shall not operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, authority or privilege preclude
any other future exercise thereof. 


  

	 	9.5	 Severability. The provisions of this agreement are severable from each other. The invalidity of any
provision of this agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this agreement. 


  

	 	9.6	 Successors. This Agreement shall be valid and binding on the parties, their successors and permitted
assigns. 



  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  	- 12 -	  	














  
  


	 	9.7	 Assignment. Party A may transfer or assign any or all of its rights and obligations under this Agreement
to any of its designated parties (natural person or legal entity) at any time. In such circumstances, the transferee or assignee shall enjoy and undertake the same rights and obligations herein of Party A as if the transferee or assignee is Party A
hereunder. When Party A transfers or assigns the rights and obligations under this Agreement, at the request of Party A, Party B shall execute the relevant agreements and/or documents with respect to such transfer or assignment. Party B and Party C
shall not assign any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Party A. 


  

	 	9.8	 Language and Counterparts. This Agreement is prepared in 3 sets of originals in both
English and Chinese. Each party shall hold 1 set. Chinese articles shall prevail over English articles in case of any inconsistency. 



[The space below has been intentionally left blank.] 

  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  	- 13 -	  	














  
  

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereof have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly
authorized representatives as of the date first written above. 
 Party A: Beijing Cheerbright Technologies Co., Ltd. 

 

	
	/s/ Sun Shufeng
	Authorized Representative: Sun Shufeng

 Company Seal 

  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  		  	














  
  

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereof have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly
authorized representatives as of the date first written above. 
  

	
	/s/ Long Quan
	Party B: Long Quan


  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement	  		  	














  
  

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereof have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly
authorized representatives as of the date first written above. 
 Party C: Beijing Autohome Information Technology Co., Ltd. 

 

	
	/s/ Long Quan
	Authorized Representative: Long Quan

 Company Seal 

  
  

					
	Equity Option Agreement